Plant Development

Research Interests

Research at the Plant Development group is concerned with developing integrated models of cellular growth and morphogenesis using the pollen tube as a biological model, ion dynamics as an experimental paradigm and theoretical modeling as an integrative tool.
We have characterized novel ion channels involved in pollen tube growth and morphogenesis, by means of imaging, electrophysiology, genetics and molecular biology, and, furthermore, unravelled some of thegenetic and cellular mechanisms behind pollen tube guidance and fertilization in plants. Our group has provided novel insight into the transcriptional status of plant male gametes and its consequences for plant reproduction and improvement.
The members of the group have been pivotal in the strengthening of the imaging, transcriptomics and vibrating probe electrophysiology services of the IGC. We have several collaboration with theoretical, animal developmental, evo-devo and other groups at the IGC, apart form external collaborations with research groups on Portugal and abroad.

Group Members

Publications

(Selected) Updated December (2008).

Porterfield, MD, Prado, MP, Feijó, JA et al. (2008). Calcium dependent NO signaling in plant cell polarity and sexual reproduction. in Hayat S. (ed.) Nitric Oxide: A future plant hormone Wyley and Sons, NY (invited chapter)

Cruz, C, Ramos, AC, Façanha, A, Feijó, JA and Martins-Loução, MA (2008). Enzyme activity modulated by AMF colonization: the urea cycle and membrane-bound phosphatase activities. In Varma A , Verma E (eds.) Textbook on molecular biotechnology, Springer-Verlag (in press)

Ramos, AC, Façanha, AR and Feijó, JA (2008). Ion dynamics during the polarized growth of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: from presymbiosis to symbiosis. In Varma, A (ed.), MYCORRHIZA: Structure Function and Biotechnology, Springer-Verlag (invited chapter) Heidelberg :pp.214-260

Lima, PT, Faria, VG, Patraquim, P, Ramos, AC, Sucena, E, Lambais, MR and Feijó, JA (2008). Homology and Modularity on the genetics and evolution of mycorrhizal endosymbioses BioEssays (under review) :(invited essay)

Michard, E, Alves, RF and Feijó, JA (2008). The role of ion fluxes in polarized cell growth: the pollen tube as an experimental paradigm Int.J.Dev.Biol. 53 :(invited review)

Slotkin, RK, Vaughn, M, Tanurdžić, M, Borges, FS, Becker, JD and Feijó, JA, Martienssen, RA (2008). Reactivation of transposable elements in the vegetative nucleus of pollen Cell (in press)

Ramos, AC, Façanha, AR, Lima, PT and Feijó, JA (2008). pH signature for the responses of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to external stimuli Plant Signalling and Behaviour 3 :1-3

Ramos, AC, Lima, PT, Dias, PN, Kasuya, MCM and Feijó, JA (2008). A pH signaling mechanism involved in the spatial distribution of calcium and anion fluxes in ectomycorrhizal roots. The New Phytologist doi: :10.1111/j.1469-8137.2008.02656.x

Cheung, AY, Dua, QH, Costa, SC, De Graaf, B, Di Stilio, VS and Feijó, JA, Wu, HM (2008). The Pollen Tube Cytoskeleton: Live Cell Studies. Molecular Plant 1 :686-702

Boavida, L, Becker, JD and Feijó, JA (2008). A spatial and temporal profile of gene expression during pollen-pistil interactions in Arabidopsis (under review)

Prado, AM, Colaço, R, Moreno, N, Silva, AM and Feijó, JA (2008). Targeting to ovules is dependent on nitric oxide signalling Molecular Plant 1 :703-714

Michard, E, Dias, P and Feijó, JA (2008). Tobacco pollen tubes as cellular models for ion dynamics: improved spatial and temporal resolution of extracellular flux and free cytosolic concentration of calcium and protons using pHluorin and YC3.1 CaMeleon. Sexual Plant Reproduction 3 :169-181 Link

Colaço, R and Feijó, JA (2008). Membrane Polarization of Mitochondria in Pollen Tubes is dependent on position and is affected by proton but not by Calcium ionophores. (under review)

Borges, F, Gomes, G, Gardner, R, Moreno, R, McCormick, S, Feijó, JA and Becker, JD (2008). Comparative Transcriptomics of Arabidopsis Sperm Cells Plant Physiology doi 10.1104/pp.108.125229

Ramos, AC, Martins, MA, Okorokova-Façanha, AL, Olivares, FL, Okorokov, LA, Sepúlveda, N, Feijó, JA and Façanha, AR (2008). Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi induce differential activation of the plasma membrane and vacuolar H+-pumps in maize root sytem. Mycorrhyza DOI 10.1007/s00572-008-0204-3

Ramos, AC, Façanha, AR and Feijó, JA. (2008). A H+ Ion Flux Signature for the Hyphal Asymbiotic Development of the Mycorrhizal Fungus Gigaspora margarita The New Phytologist 178(1) :177-188

Certal, AC, Almeida, RB, Wong, S, Moreno, N, Carneiro, J, Rodriguéz-Léon, J, Wu, HM, Cheung, AY and Feijó, JA. (2008). Exclusion of a proton ATPase from the apical membrane is associated with cell polarity and tip growth in Nicotiana tabacum pollen tubes. The Plant Cell 20(3) :614-634